Implanted medical devices typically communicate via telemetry with an external implant programming unit using radio frequency signals. The programming unit downloads data to and receives data from the implanted medical device using a programmer head that extends from the programming unit. The programmer head includes an antenna that can be positioned over the patient's implanted device site for programming or telemetry interrogation of the implanted device.
Implant programming units are typically located in various locations in a medical facility and may be coupled to a local network or a public network. Access to printers or other peripherals is via direct (parallel or serial) connection. Most implant programming units include high-level processing capabilities and various software applications that facilitate many programming operations and local processing of data. Implant programming units require regular software upgrades that must be performed at each programming unit location. With technology evolving so quickly, medical facilities will also need to incur high capital investment costs in upgrading expensive programming units every few years.
In consulting with a patient having an implanted device, the physician may need to refer to literature, data, or an expert available on a medical information network or on the Internet, which may be necessary for diagnosis or instructing the patient. If the required information is not available during the exam, the physician may need to either call the patient later with the desired information or reschedule the exam. Providing implant programming units direct access to local networks or public networks, such as the Internet, can lead to inadvertent disclosure of confidential patient data that may be stored in the implant programming unit. A firewall (i.e., a combination of hardware and software that limits the exposure of a data processing unit from unauthorized access) is usually installed on the medical facility network or on individual desktop computers, but is not always effective at preventing infection from viruses or penetration by hackers.
There is a need for a system and an arrangement for enabling implant programming units to retrieve information that enhances the physician/patient visit without making the implant programming units accessible via local or public networks.
A system and an arrangement that addresses the aforementioned problems, as well as other related problems, are therefore desirable.